The warm summer morning greeted Alice with a sunny smile. She looked out her window up to the cloudless cerulean sky with a wide grin upon her face. She absolutely loved the weather that Canada had to offer in July; it was much more pleasant than Wisconsin summers. The high was a comfortable 80 degrees with a nice cool breeze, and the shade that the trees gave her made the setting perfect. It was quite a departure from the upper 90s with no shade or breeze that southwest Wisconsin had when she was down there; in autumn no less. Looking back on the events that went down in Wisconsin, especially regarding what happened in Milwaukee at the University, Alice began to wonder why she thought going down there was a good idea. There was only one good thing that she thought happened while she was on her adventure, which she never wanted to forget. It happened about five years ago, but the memory rang clear as a bell when she thought about it.
She could remember when the Waltzers flooded through the doors of the burned out college building. Her party was separated from her as distressed college students, lorekeepers, people looking for shelter, and everyone in between darted around the lobby of the union. The scene was hectic, with gunshots ringing throughout the blackened building and people shouting and begging for their lives. Alice could remember ducking behind the staircase that rested in the middle of the room, and making her way down to the basement level. The brick and concrete stairs were riddled with cracks and holes from years without maintenance, but she was confident that they couldn’t give under her weight. She wasn’t sure why the Union was under attack, but she knew for sure that it wasn’t something she had to get involved in.
She hesitated at the bottom of the steps, and wondered if she should go back for her teammates, but the thought quickly left her mind when she realized that there was nothing she could do for them. She didn’t have any talent for fighting, and diplomacy wouldn’t have done her any good in the situation they were in. Miles would have been fine; he was used to all-out brawling and shined in fights like that. The Librarian wasn’t as adept at fighting as Miles was, but she also wasn’t stupid. Alice had a feeling that The Librarian would have split out of there to find fellow Madison Lorekeepers. She mentioned that the Milwaukee and Madison lorekeepers were in a dispute, so finding more of her allies sounded like something she would do. Arabella was the only person she was unsure of, but with her resolve and willingness to fight for what she believed in, which was usually saving her own hide, Alice convinced herself she would be alright. She reassured herself that everyone else be okay, and continued in to the basement of the Union.
Alice couldn’t recall how long she had hidden in that basement, uncomfortably wedged in to a small locker. Looking back, Alice thought that might have been the reason she wanted a larger house when she moved back up to Quebec. The industrial smell of the locker resonated in her head for hours after getting out of there, and probably gave her the incentive to live in a place much closer to nature.
Her fondest memory was probably when she was discovered in that small locker. She heard footsteps trudging down the stairs and heading down the hallways. She was ready to say her final prayers when she heard voices outside of the locker door, until she heard a familiar voice. She remembered opening the locker door a crack, and seeing a man with piercing blue eyes in a Madison Lorekeeper uniform. All of her uncertainties about her situation faded when she saw a small book poking out of the man’s left trouser pocket. She knew the small gold typing that the cover of the book had on it, and the story behind how he got the book.
“Grant… You’re...!” She said as she opened the door wider. She had a hard time finding the right words to say to him, but at that moment she was just too happy to care. She remembered this man from her first caravan delivery trip. His name was Grant; the kind Lorekeeper Guard that she befriended, and kept in touch with whenever she could. She ran up to him and gave him the strongest hug she could muster, and was elated when he returned the favor with the same gusto.
“Alice!” He exclaimed in surprise. “The Librarian told me you ran off; I didn’t think I would find you here!”
Alice looked up at him with a surprised look that quickly turned in to relief. She had found someone she knew, that she trusted, and knew she and her closest teammate were safe. The call was made to leave the school, and Alice stayed clung to Grant’s side as they exited the building with the rest of the Lorekeepers. Before leaving for good, Alice turned to look back at the school, which looked barren and dead. She took a moment to think about the people she had travelled with, and considered going back to look for them. She decided against it though, partly because if one or more of them didn’t make it, she didn’t want to see them lying dead on the ground, and partly because she didn’t want to leave Grant again.
He was one of the only good things that she could remember from her trip down to Wisconsin. She was determined to never forget him, and made that abundantly clear when she asked him to come with her back up to Quebec. They travelled around the countryside for the longest time before deciding to settle down in the outskirts of Gatineau, which had a lush green forest to offer them. There they constructed a cabin to live in, which took four long years for the both of them to make and be satisfied with. It was hard work, but the payoff was great because of the peaceful life they would live up there. It wasn’t a place for big name merchants by any means, but there was enough business selling home-made maple syrup and wooden accessories to stay happy. Alice never became as successful as her parents, but she was with the man she trusted and loved, and that was enough for her.
She could remember when the Waltzers flooded through the doors of the burned out college building. Her party was separated from her as distressed college students, lorekeepers, people looking for shelter, and everyone in between darted around the lobby of the union. The scene was hectic, with gunshots ringing throughout the blackened building and people shouting and begging for their lives. Alice could remember ducking behind the staircase that rested in the middle of the room, and making her way down to the basement level. The brick and concrete stairs were riddled with cracks and holes from years without maintenance, but she was confident that they couldn’t give under her weight. She wasn’t sure why the Union was under attack, but she knew for sure that it wasn’t something she had to get involved in.
She hesitated at the bottom of the steps, and wondered if she should go back for her teammates, but the thought quickly left her mind when she realized that there was nothing she could do for them. She didn’t have any talent for fighting, and diplomacy wouldn’t have done her any good in the situation they were in. Miles would have been fine; he was used to all-out brawling and shined in fights like that. The Librarian wasn’t as adept at fighting as Miles was, but she also wasn’t stupid. Alice had a feeling that The Librarian would have split out of there to find fellow Madison Lorekeepers. She mentioned that the Milwaukee and Madison lorekeepers were in a dispute, so finding more of her allies sounded like something she would do. Arabella was the only person she was unsure of, but with her resolve and willingness to fight for what she believed in, which was usually saving her own hide, Alice convinced herself she would be alright. She reassured herself that everyone else be okay, and continued in to the basement of the Union.
Alice couldn’t recall how long she had hidden in that basement, uncomfortably wedged in to a small locker. Looking back, Alice thought that might have been the reason she wanted a larger house when she moved back up to Quebec. The industrial smell of the locker resonated in her head for hours after getting out of there, and probably gave her the incentive to live in a place much closer to nature.
Her fondest memory was probably when she was discovered in that small locker. She heard footsteps trudging down the stairs and heading down the hallways. She was ready to say her final prayers when she heard voices outside of the locker door, until she heard a familiar voice. She remembered opening the locker door a crack, and seeing a man with piercing blue eyes in a Madison Lorekeeper uniform. All of her uncertainties about her situation faded when she saw a small book poking out of the man’s left trouser pocket. She knew the small gold typing that the cover of the book had on it, and the story behind how he got the book.
“Grant… You’re...!” She said as she opened the door wider. She had a hard time finding the right words to say to him, but at that moment she was just too happy to care. She remembered this man from her first caravan delivery trip. His name was Grant; the kind Lorekeeper Guard that she befriended, and kept in touch with whenever she could. She ran up to him and gave him the strongest hug she could muster, and was elated when he returned the favor with the same gusto.
“Alice!” He exclaimed in surprise. “The Librarian told me you ran off; I didn’t think I would find you here!”
Alice looked up at him with a surprised look that quickly turned in to relief. She had found someone she knew, that she trusted, and knew she and her closest teammate were safe. The call was made to leave the school, and Alice stayed clung to Grant’s side as they exited the building with the rest of the Lorekeepers. Before leaving for good, Alice turned to look back at the school, which looked barren and dead. She took a moment to think about the people she had travelled with, and considered going back to look for them. She decided against it though, partly because if one or more of them didn’t make it, she didn’t want to see them lying dead on the ground, and partly because she didn’t want to leave Grant again.
He was one of the only good things that she could remember from her trip down to Wisconsin. She was determined to never forget him, and made that abundantly clear when she asked him to come with her back up to Quebec. They travelled around the countryside for the longest time before deciding to settle down in the outskirts of Gatineau, which had a lush green forest to offer them. There they constructed a cabin to live in, which took four long years for the both of them to make and be satisfied with. It was hard work, but the payoff was great because of the peaceful life they would live up there. It wasn’t a place for big name merchants by any means, but there was enough business selling home-made maple syrup and wooden accessories to stay happy. Alice never became as successful as her parents, but she was with the man she trusted and loved, and that was enough for her.